COVID-19 as a Biological and Ecological Crisis: Implications for Environmental Security and Public Health in Georgia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that infectious disease emergencies cannot be examined solely through a biomedical lens. In states with limited structural capacity and complex geopolitical positioning, such as Georgia, the crisis exposed structural interdependencies between biological risk gover­nance and environmental regulatory systems. Beyond its immediate public health consequences, the pande­mic generated ecological pressures that reshaped the relationship between environmental security and national health governance. The aim of the paper is: To analyze the interrelationship between biological risk management and environmental governance in Georgia during the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate systemic vulnerabilities revealed by the crisis. Research methods: A case study methodology was applied, incorporating systematic review of national strategic documents, legislative acts, and emergency response protocols alongside secondary epidemiological and environmental data from 2020–2022. An interdisciplinary bio-ecological security framework guided the assessment of institutional coordination, biomedical waste regulation, environmental monitoring practices, and intersectoral crisis governance mechanisms. Research results: The analysis indicates that the pandemic amplified pre-existing governance fragmentation. The rapid increase in biomedical waste, temporary regulatory adaptations, and limited integration between environ­mental oversight and health emergency planning generated cumulative ecological stress. Although epide­mio­logical surveillance capacity expanded, environmental risk assessment remained insufficiently integrated into preparedness strategies. In conclusion: COVID-19 should be conceptualized as a dual biological–ecological crisis requiring integrated governance approaches. Strengthening environmental monitoring within biosecurity planning and enhancing cross-sector coordination are essential for long-term resilience in Georgia.